The National tribune., 1887-01-06
NEW HOPE CHURCH.
A Spirited Sketch From Fourteenth Corps Reg

"Picketts Mills" / thought so also when
read COmrade Illness assertion that no part Of
the Fourteenth Corps took part in the action at
New Hope Church. / partly agree with Com
rade Hines, inasmuch as will admit that the
actions at Pumpkin Vine Creek, Burnt Hick-
DRY and New Hope Church were separate and
distinct engagements; but that does not pre-
vent New Hope and Pickettis Mills from being
one and the same.
Capt Mcmahon is frank enough to say in
the first few lines of his letter that he may
make mistakes" and az its close SAYS in speak
ing of the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps
members, both claiming to have fought at New
Hope Church, that Neither of them could
have been there" Halt, Captain-don't adj
vance on that line any farther. / am aware
that in the Pension Office the oath of two high
privates is required to substantiate what one
commissioned officer can testify to and be be-
lieved-which think is rough on the aforesaid
high private.
Capt. Mcmahon, I viii turn my battery upon
you for the reason that your experience is
almost identical with mine. except that l was
4 member of the Fourteenth Corps.
THE REGULAR BRIGADE,
of which l was a member. crossed Pumpkin
Vine Creek about 3 o'clock, as nearly as can
remember, on the afternoon of May "a, 1864.
About 4 o'clock, while we could hear the firing
of the White Star boys quite plainly, we passed
their field hospital and many of their wounded
who were going to the rear In about an hour,
or when the sun was about two hours high, the
fighting ceased The next day-the day of the
fight at New Hope-we went TO the extreme
left of the line, halted in line of battle in an
open wood with a cleared field on our left,
threw out our skirmishers toward the edge of
the wood, and they were soon engaged with
the rebel skirmishers in a lively little shooting
party.
know that stood just in the way Of where
a Johnny wanted to shoot; he not only want
cd to shoot, but did shoot without even telling
me to get out of the way, and as a consequence
/ caught his ball in my left leg, from where it
was taken by DIR. John G. Bingham, Surgeon of
the Regular Brigade, who now resides at Mil
lersburg, o.
Just about this time our skirmishers had
driven the JOhnnies nearly out of the woods,
when they were halted aud our line of battle
ordered to lie down. This could not have been
far from o'clock p. m. A skiTmish line that
had been formed in our rear now advanced,
passed over US and were followed by line of
battle that did the same thing. The left of
their skirmish liue-I mean the new men
soon passed our skirmishers, and were imme-
diately fired upon by the rebel skirmishers and
lost one man in the cleared field on our left,
over which the left of their line passed. He
fell about 80 yards from where / was sitting
down nursing my leg.
Just whose troops those were ! have no
means OF knowing pOsitively,-I mean whose
brigade,-as / do know for a fact that it was q
brigade of Gen. Thomas ]. Woods Division, of
the Fourth Corps. / understood at the time
that
IT WAS TILLICH's BRIGADE
that went over us, and am inclined to believe
such was the case, as we soon heard the bugle
calls for which that brigade was noted sounded
| in our front, and moment later they and the
Johnnies were at it hot and hard. This was
nearly at dusk. The Regulars were advanced
| TO within about 100 yards Of the cleared field
and halted. A wood road ran through our line
| and through the field where Woods Division
| was engaged, and was soon filled with the
wounded who were still able to get off the
| field. Ny position was just at the side of that
wood road, and tree about half big enough to
| hide me was my shelter.
Gen. o. o. Howard. dismounted, was walking
| up and down the road, and passed each time SO
near to me that could have touched him. As
one man passed to the rear with both hands a
| shapeless mass of mangled flesh, distinctly
heard Gen. Howard sigh and say to himself
"poor fellow" Just at that place / also saw
an officers Lieutenant Colonel-bareheaded
/ and on foot, hurrying to the rear, who, the
moment he saw and recognized Gen. Howard
saluted, and in an excited and hurried manner
said:
"Gen. Howard, we must have both ammuni.
| ton and men,"
Gen. Howard replied:
Go back, sir, to your command and hold
your position at all hazards until nightfall."
We now moved 70 the front, leaving the men
of Woods Division still fighting, although il
| was almost dark. After going about 300 yards
We ran up against Pat Cleburne's Mississippi
| fighters, and for about half an hour, perhaps
less, we were warmly engaged but, like the
boys of the Fourth Corps,
WE WERE VERY GLAD
when night put an end TO hostilities My COM
pany lost two killed and nine wounded. was
informed at the time that Woods Division lost
LOO men in about three hours but Gen. Wood
who resides here, informs me that his loss was
about l,400
Now, want Comrades Mcmahon, Hines and
Others who, because they did not happen to see
any Of the Fourteenth Corps engaged at New
| Hope Church, take it for granted that none Of
| them were so engaged TO make a note of the
| following facts, and then hope they will moi
contradict me in any statement l may make
as l have the proof to substantiate all 1 may
say.
First. was Sergeant in Co. F, I'd battalion
18th u. s. Inf
Second. The 18th U. s. Inf was part of tn,
Regular Brigade, that every one knows was {
| part OF the tOuTIecntn corps.
Third. l was was wounded at New Hops
Church, Ga, May %, 1864
Fourth. My discharge. given at Lookou
Mountain, dated Oct. 81, 1864, says: Engaged
in action at New Hope Church, Ga" Said dis
charge is signed by Capt. VIM. McManus, VIII
now resides at Chester, Pa.
Fifth. The regimental flag of the 18th U. s
} Inf was, by General Orders, inscribed I" New
} Hope Church"
Sixth. Gen. Thomas j. Wood will bear testi
mony that the Fourteenth Corps, or at least
part of it, was engaged in that battle.
/ do not know that the 4lst or 9Sth Obi
were in that action, but if Capt. Mcmahon an
Comrade George w. Hines say they were 1 vii
} accept their word for il. During an action
was always too busily engaged either in look
ing along my Springfield rifle or in seeing tina
no JOhnnies were tampering with my eommu
nications TO the rear, to see what occurred o.
/. either flank; but after all that has been sal
, about the Fourteenth Corps being at New Hop
Church, / expect that in a few years some oil
: veteran will deny that there was any war q
all between '6l and '65.-CHARLEs w. Haze
RINGToS, Sergeant, Co. +, I'd battalion, 18th I
5. Inf, Dayton, ..
AMotheF's Strange Act.
ANTS Rehbein, of'Bushkill Township, Nortf